A Cure For Elsa
by pleased-to-write
Summary: After the Great Thaw, Elsa contracts an illness, which has no other cure but a rare herb found deep in the woods. Elsa's fate lies in the hands of Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven. They'll need a little more than just time to help the Queen. P.S. This is my first fanfic I put a lot of effort into it, so please be easy on me I LOVE REVIEWS SO PLEASE COMMENT! K to be safe
1. Chapter 1: Sick Day

The frosted door slammed shut, as a snow covered Anna came huffing out of Elsa's room. She tried brushing off the snowflakes on her shoulders and the snow caught in her red hair. Kai was walking past her in the hall and stared at her peculiarly up and down.

"The Queen is sick, again?" Kai asked unsurprised. Anna simply nodded her head as she rolled her eyes.

"Anything you need, Princess?" Kai said preparing to go to Elsa's room.

"Nope! But Elsa might need something. I'll make tea-" Anna was interrupted by Kai's hand.

"Gerda will prepare the tea," Anna nodded eagerly at this statement. She was crazy to say she would make the tea. Last time, she accidently spilled the boiling water from the kettle all over one of the rugs in the hall.

Kai exited the hall swiftly and parted ways with Anna. The princess ran to her room quickly to change into new clothes before she was soaking in cold water. She thought of how Elsa's sicks days were. She wouldn't get out of bed. Often, blizzards would start in her room from all the sneezing and coughing. It's not hard to guess that her powers would act up.

Anna sighed relieved to be in warm clothing again. It was late fall, so of course, Elsa's favorite season was approaching the kingdom, and of course there had to be a festival to celebrate it. The idea actually came from Kai, saying that to boost the spirits of townspeople and farmers with dying crops, a festival should be put into order.

As Anna stepped out of her bedroom, she noticed something odd. The hall was quiet. All too quiet. She creeped down the passage, her fingertips touching the silver light that shone from the windows. Her socks retaining sound coming from the creaky wood floor, she turned the corner.

Still nothing there. _Where's Olaf…_ She thought to herself. Speaking of which, she wondered where anyone from the gang was. Sven had to be sharing a carrot with Kristoff somewhere and Olaf was either pestering both of them, or making a mess in the kitchen again. Him and Anna were similar in that aspect. Neither one of the two should be trusted anywhere with sharp objects or boiling stoves.

"Someone help me!"

"Get over here!"

The screams of an unfortunate, little snowman and an irritated ice harvester echoed through the halls. Anna smirked excitedly as she ran over to where the ruckus was coming from. She barely skipped a few paces as Olaf waddled quickly almost jokingly (only he was serious about the situation). She giggled silently. Kristoff was chasing behind him. Neither one of the two seemed to have noticed her as she amused herself with their deep conflictment. She chased after the fight waiting to happen, hoping to pull Olaf out of the fight before he loses something important.

"I didn't mean it, I promise I won't do it again!" Olaf yelped, putting his twig arms up in the air. Kristoff stopped pursuing him for a second and stood there confused.

"Really?" He asked in awe. Olaf stood still for a second contemplating the chances he had of surviving. He took a chance.

"Nope!" Olaf started running again in utter fear as Kristoff continued chasing him. Anna had been following the entire commotion and still couldnt believe they hadn't seen her speculating the incident in amusement.

It was then when she thought too soon. There was a crash, something was knocked over, then something else fell, and the vibration through the castle of something heavy smashing against the ground was also heard. Not to mention a feeble, but loud yelp from Olaf. Anna's smile was wiped off her face and she quickly followed to where the sound was heard from.

She reached the scene and couldn't help but laugh hysterically. She tried covering her mouth but the smile intruded the outline of her thin fingers. Olaf was here. Olaf was there. Olaf was...well, everywhere! His butt was sitting properly on the couch, one of his arms was hanging from the railing of the stairs. The other one was barely peeking out from under the wooden table. Kristoff was lying flat on his back holding his knee in pain. Olaf's talking head was on the rug, trying to maintain conversation.

"Hi Anna! How are you? I'm fine. Well, i mean, i could use a little help, but if you're busy, then that's ok too," Olaf said from the ground as if nothing had happened. Kristoff still clutching his knee glared at Olaf who was so happily ok with the situation.

"You said...you would stop...and you didn't," Kristoff said weakly, almost exaggerated. Anna tried not to laugh again.

"Stop what?" Olaf asked cluelessly.

"Being annoying," Kristoff murmured. Anna started laughing out loud again. Kristoff gave her a sharp look. Anna covered her mouth, still giggling. She went to go help him up.

"Here, lemme help you," Anna grabbed him from his elbow and slowly mounted him up. He still half bent the left knee he had been clutching.

"I'll get you some ice," Anna started leaving the room. Kristoff grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"I'd rather not be put in an ice block by your sister today, but thanks for the offer," Anna rolled her eyes at Kristoff's comment.

"Hey, Kristoff, could I get some help here," Anna said attempting to reach one of Olaf's arms on the railing. Kristoff sighed and grabbed the twig with ease. He handed it to Anna grudgingly, wondering if he should throw it out the window instead. Anna smiled gratefully at him and started putting Olaf back together again. Fortunately, unlike Humpty Dumpty, Olaf could be put back together again-as noted on _various_ occasions.

As soon as everything was settled, the three of them plopped on a bench in the courtyard with Sven nibbling on a carrot (Kristoff was eyeballing Sven for not sharing), listening to the crowds of people at the marketplace getting their errands done before it got too cold.

"So, what are we doing today?" Kristoff asked aimlessly. Then Anna remembered about Elsa. Her eyes widened.

"Oh no! Uhhh...I'll be back!" Anna sprinted off into the castle Sven looked up from his carrot.

"What was that?" Kristoff asked Olaf. The snowman shrugged. Anna tripped foolishly on her way inside, but continued to act as if nothing happened. Sven snorted.

Anna stood urgently in front of the door, still slightly frosted at its borders.

"Umm, Elsa?" She knocked hesitantly. A sneeze. A huge thump on the door. And a cool wind blown through the bottom of the door reaching Anna's feet. Elsa cleared her throat.

"Come in!" She said as pleasantly as she could. The room was at least 20 degrees colder than outside. There were flurries floating about the room. Finally, Anna noticed Elsa sitting up in her bed, patiently waiting with her tea cup and saucer in her hands, as if she were at a Royal Meeting, waiting for it to start.

"How are you doing?" Her younger sister asked concerned.

"I'm doing fine," Elsa said gracefully.

"Fine? There's ice on the walls," Anna suggested to the walls that were glazed in cold, ice. Her breaths could be seen in the cold.

"Oh. Well, yes, I suppose so. But other than that, I feel fine!" Elsa sniffled. Anna looked at her challengingly. Elsa smiled sweetly at her. It was extremely clear that Elsa was sick. But the princess decided to give up pursuing her sickness and let her sleep. The queen had incredibly large, dark circles under her eyes.

"Ok, Elsa. I really hope you get better soon. We miss you!" Anna cheered. Elsa slipped out a small giggle. Then Anna said goodbye, and closed herself out of the freezing room. Her hair, again, slightly infested with sparkles of snow. She let the warm of the hallway envelope her.

Anna made her way back to the courtyard where she initially left Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven. When she arrived at the bench she was sitting on, she found to her surprise that they weren't there. _Why don't they ever stay put for at least five minutes?_ Anna thought to herself chuckling a little.

"Excuse me, sir, have you seen a man about this big," she motioned with her hands, "and a talking snowman about this big," again motioning with her hands, "and a reindeer?" The guard she had asked had bowed to her as soon as she looked at him, but now lost his posture of grace with the amount of confusion Anna had put in him.

"I'm sorry, I have not, Princess," The guard said determinedly, at last. Anna curtsied and continued on her scavenge. She decided to go into the streets of the town, hoping to find one of the three. No one. Then she checked around the castle. No one. _I hope they didn't go far._ Anna thought.

After a few hours had passed, she had simply given up out of tiredness and planted herself face flat on her bed. _Where could they have gone? I couldn't have been missing long enough for them to get so tired of waiting and leave. _

Anna had fallen asleep. The day began to get darker. The chatter in the streets hushed. The castle was as quiet as it was for those 13 years of the gates being closed. It was a bit eerie. Not only did it bring back upsetting memories, but it made Anna wonder even more why she couldn't find anyone.

Anna dreamed of the kingdom. Vividly blue, and quiet. It reminded her quite a bit of Elsa's ice palace. But it was surely the castle. There were no townspeople, no guards, no servants, no Kai, no Gerda. No Olaf, no Kristoff, no Sven. But the gates were open.

She appeared in her room. Her hands were icy blue. _Am I freezing?_ She asked herself. Anna looked at the mirror in her room. Her cheeks were frosted. She didn't feel weak, though. She clutched her heart. It was beating calmly. She wondered if a frozen heart was in play here. But she sincerely couldn't tell. She stepped out of her room. The entire hallway was freezing. The walls were frosted. Icicles hanging from the ceiling. Wisps of air could be seen in the cold atmosphere. She hugged herself in order to keep warm. Anna tried looking for someone. Again, the castle was quiet.

_"Elsa?" _Anna said, her voice slightly wavering. No reply. _"Elsa?"_ Still nothing. She went for her sister's room. The door, no longer frosted, but the hallway still freezing. Slowly she turned the knob, her heart beating fast. The door creaked. Elsa's room was for once, warm. Anna looked around. There, she saw her sister in her bed. She had a distressed look on her face as she slept. Anna felt Elsa's forehead. It was boiling. _"Elsa? Are you alright?"_ Still Elsa slept, her expression was one of held back pain. Soon Elsa's breath began to get shorter. Anna could hear her panting in her sleep. Elsa was dreaming. Anna tried to wake her sister up. But Elsa was asleep. Anna tried grabbing her from her shoulders, shaking her, calling her name. Elsa did not respond. Both their heartbeats started getting faster. The ringing of her heartbeat flooded Anna's ear until finally...she woke up.

Anna gasped as she sat up in her bed. It was the middle of the night. Anna had tears running down her cheeks. She wiped them away, trying to grab a hold of reality. Quickly remembering her dream, she jumped out of bed and ran to her sister's room. The door was frosted. Anna bit her lip and barged in. Elsa was sleeping peacefully, the room still a little chilled. She looked at her sister and gently put a hand on her forehead. Slightly cold, as usual. Anna sighed in relief. She decided to sleep next to her on the ground.


	2. Chapter 2: The Cure

A knock on the door.

"Your Majesty?" Kai was outside. A few more knocks but no response. Anna woke up silently, startled by Kai's knocking. She stayed down on the floor as to hide from Kai. He would not want her in here. Kai opened the door carefully. He walked over to check on the queen. Anna listened carefully

"Oh dear. Your Majesty? Elsa?" Kai's voice trailed away. He quickly exited the room. Anna got up and looked at Elsa. There was no rise and fall in her chest. Her cheeks were too flushed. Her head was boiling just like in Anna's dream. She tried waking her up but there was no response. Anna bit her lip. She was worried. She sat on Elsa's bed and stayed with her until Kai came back.

"Princess! What are you doing here?" He asked baffled. Anna jumped at his remark. Her eyes widened.

"Something's wrong with Elsa!" she said gesturing towards her sick sister. Kai's heart warmed a little at the sight of Anna caring for her sister. But the feeling quickly turned into one of urgency.

"Yes, we are getting a doctor immediately. But it would be better if you weren't here, for your own sake," Kai said guiding Anna to the door. Anna stopped in her tracks.

"No! She's my sister, I have to stay. Please, Kai," Anna retreated back to her spot next to Elsa. Kai sighed. He resigned from the argument and scurried into the hallway to organize the commotion. Anna sat still keeping an eye on her sister. Once the doctor arrived, everyone had to leave the room for a bit. Anna refused at first, but then conformed with the rest of the servants, seeing as she would not win over the situation.

"Princess Anna, please, I think it best you take some time to relax. We will let you know anything new about Elsa," Gerda held Anna's hand. Anna looked down grudgingly realizing how tired she was. She smiled sweetly at Gerda and glumly walked away from the area. She went to go get dressed. As soon as she had braided her hair, she swiftly left her room in order to try and distract herself from her sister. She never thought that would be a goal of her's. She found herself sitting on one of the couches in the Great Hall, falling asleep. As she noticed herself dozing off, she returned to her bedroom and fell asleep on her bed.

Around an hour later, she found herself being tugged at. She tried to ignore it, whatever "it" was by shooing it away with her hand. The tugging stopped. For a bit. then the tugging became more like pushing and Anna was too bothered to ignore it. She rolled around to the other side of the bed to see who was bothering her. She met eyes with Kristoff who was nudging her to wake up.

Anna smiled and eagerly sat up in her bed. She stretched her arms, still not remembering about Elsa.

"Slept well?" Kristoff asked with a smirk on his face. He was looking at Anna's hair. Even when it was in braids, it still managed to become a nest for birds. Anna started yawning as she responded and the whole sentence got muddled into one big wavering yawn. Kristoff raised an eyebrow. "...right. Sorry for leaving you yesterday," He looked down at the floor, slightly ashamed.

"Yeah, why did you guys leave?" Anna jumped from her bed and started to untangle the mess that was her hair, as she paced the room. Kristoff stared at her as she paced. Then looked down again.

"Well, it's a long story…" Anna stopped, and glared at Kristoff, hoping he hadn't done something to Olaf, or gotten into trouble. He sighed. "Olaf said he was reading a book in Elsa's study about some old stories. He told me he got scared and never wanted to go back into the mountains and so I thought 'Let's take him into the mountains!'" Kristoff's voice trailed off in embarrassment. He didn't look up, but he felt Anna's glare. She walked over to him and put a hand on his arm. He looked up to see her smirk amusedly at him. "So we went up near the North Mountain. There was nothing there of course. But it sure was a long trip. We didn't get back until this morning. Nothing special," He shrugged.

"Well at least nothing bad happened, right?" Anna tried cheering. Kristoff smiled at her. Just as he was about to grab her hand, the door opened. Gerda barged into Anna's room out of breath as if she had ran up as quickly as possible. She paid no mind to any private conversation Anna and Kristoff could have been having.

"Princess...it's Elsa," Gerda stood at the doorway almost trying to guide Anna to her sister with her stare. Anna's eyes widened with fear. She ran off without waiting for either Kristoff or Gerda to accompany her. Kristoff started getting anxious he ran off after her with Gerda following shortly behind him.

Anna broke through the small crowd of servants. There was a painful knot forming in her throat, and a floating feeling in her stomach. The door was slightly open. She pushed it open and saw a man dressed very formally sitting beside Elsa in a wooden chair. He had a leather notebook in his hands which he seemed to handle with excessive care and glasses with a thin golden rim at the edge of his straight nose. He looked up from his journal, saw Anna standing in the doorway and quickly got up to bow. Anna didn't pay attention to him and quickly rushed to her bed-ridden sister who looked even worse than she did in the morning.

"Princess, I'm glad you came. There are things you should know about Her Majesty's condition," He spoke in a stern voice, that was strangely calming. Anna looked up from her sister to see the man offering her a seat. She hesitated at first but quickly sat down beside Elsa on the opposite side of the bed from where the doctor was sitting. "I apologize for not introducing myself. My name is Axel Rasmussen. I was told Her Majesty was feeling ill. She is breathing subtly, I almost thought that she wasn't breathing at all. She has a virus of a sort. It is nothing I've ever seen before. It could be fatal," Axel paused to leave room for Anna to breath. "What I think she might need is a special herb. I can prescribe it to her, but it is very hard to obtain,"

Anna sat still as the man explained everything to her. She was a statue made of fears. She could barely breath as she heard about her sister's condition. She opened her mouth to say something but her words were stuck in her throat. Axel noticed her discomfort, and forced himself to smile at her. He was obviously a very serious man. But somehow his forced-on smile still managed to somewhat comfort Anna. Now she managed to get some words out. It wasn't usual that Anna was left without words.

"I...is there anything I can do?" Anna choked on the final words of her question but still managed to get them out of the way. She had been staring down the entire time and now lifted her head to look at the sophisticated doctor. The man paused a second before giving the girl directions. He was trying to phrase his words as best as he could.

"The herb is rare, but can be found in the forest," Axel got up from his chair and started pacing the room. "It grows deep in the woods. A plant with blue leaves, and sharp edges. If you can find that, it would be possible to cure her of her illness," The man stopped pacing, looking up from the floor. He glanced at Anna who had now turned to Elsa. He swallowed hard, feeling empathy for the princess. She looked so miserable. Anna took a deep breath to hold back some tears. Then she turned again to Axel who was standing still in the same place. She hardened her stare. Although she looked flushed, Anna was determined. Finally she said something.

"Thank you, Mr. Rasmussen," Anna stood up, taking a final look at her sister. Elsa looked peaceful, besides the fact that she was ill.

"It is the least I can do, Princess," Axel bowed again and left the room. Anna bit her lip nervously. _I can do this._ She said to herself.


	3. Chapter 3: The Journey Begins

Anna exited the room postured with "sophisticated grace" as Elsa would have put it and silently made her way out of the crowd. Gerda and some others quickly scurried into the room to keep an eye on the queen. Kristoff was waiting a little separated from the group, nervously looking down at the wooden floor. Anna was unusually reserved for what had just occurred. She went over to Kristoff and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up concerned.

"Is everything alright?" He asked. Anna took in a deep breath raising her shoulders and then lowering them.

"Come with me," She led him out of the hallway and into the study. Kristoff was thoroughly confused. She sat him down on one of the couches. "We need to go into the forest," Kristoff looked at her weirdly.

"Why-" Anna looked at him, forcing to keep quiet with her icy glare. A strange similarity between her and Elsa was starting to appear. Kristoff was a little intimidated.

"Let me finish…sorry," Anna forced a faint smile. Then her expression became serious again. "We need to find a rare herb. It's supposed to help Elsa. If we don't get it quickly though, it could be too late. I need your help. You know where every nook and cranny is up in those mountains," Anna paused to smile a little at the thought of his expertise. "But I can't let too many people know where we're going. We can probably only trust Kai and Gerda to let us go. Still, we have to be careful…" Anna's thoughts started to trail off as she got off on a rambling tangent. Kristoff looked at her seriously. He got up and laid a hand on her shoulder to help her realize he understood. He still looked a little uncertain of the situation they were faced with. But if he had traveled such long distances with her before, what could one more journey hurt?

The commotion throughout the hallways was incredible. A servant was running down every aisle of the castle. The staff tried to maintain Elsa's predicament a secret, but word got out, and the town was going half insane. _"Where is Queen Elsa? Is she alright? What happened to her?"_ The questions were running up and down the streets.

Anna was in her bedroom, preparing herself for a long journey. It was a little pathetic of her to feel so worried over getting a tiny leaf, but it was so much more than that. Not only would Elsa be saved, but she would also prove to her how capable she was of getting things done. As if the eternal winter being reversed wasn't enough, Anna was still the "little sister," the one who had "much to learn," and the little "baby," of the castle. Elsa often treated her like a child. An occasional snort from Kristoff when Elsa would say, "You're not old enough yet." It wasn't as if Anna was trying to be rebellious or asking for much. She just wanted some liberty. She was eighteen for crying out loud, not twelve.

She slipped on her boots and hung a worn satchel on her shoulder. It carried a map and a blanket. But it also carried the old folklore book that Olaf was reading. Even though Anna didn't _want_ to believe in myths like evil spirits or sea monsters, she _did_ have to consider the fact that she was journeying with a man who was raised by trolls. It made her a little nervous that she was bringing the book. She didn't want Kristoff to think she was crazy (even though he was right to think so), but she also didn't feel safe without it. Maybe there was some useful information inside of it.

Anna stared at herself in the mirror, almost glaring. Her blue eyes pierced her own reflection into pieces it seems. Her red braids fell in front of her shoulders so slyly. Why was her look so icy? _Am I becoming more like Elsa? _She thought to herself. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing to become more like her, but, well, she was fine being herself. Her evergreen dress suited her nicely. The heavy satchel hanging across her body made her seem like an adventurer. She liked that.

Suddenly, she was startled by a knock on the door. Her head snapped to the door. Urgency filled her mind. No one can see her leaving.

"Uh, I'm coming!" She said as she ran to her closet to hide the satchel. She made sure there was nothing out on her bed that could give away her plan. Then she lifted her shoulders with a deep breath and opened the door. It was just Kristoff. "Whew! You scared me!" Anna said as she invited him in. Kristoff looked confused.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked looking around disappointedly at the empty room. Anna silently grabbed the satchel again from her closet. She struggled a little with its weight but quickly hung over her and stood dead straight in front of Kristoff.

She smirked at him happily.

"I was born," Anna stated hopefully. They thought it was best to wait until everyone was asleep but they couldn't waste any time. So they sneaked through. They made their way through the halls without being questioned. Anna was scared they wouldn't be able to get Elsa help on time. She hoped that they would, but it just seemed so impossible. They were almost out of the castle and Anna halted.

"What's wrong?" Kristoff asked her confused. Anna stared at him for a second.

"I'll be back," She turned towards the stairs. She looked back at him. "Just don't leave for the mountains without me," she gave off a smile. Kristoff wasn't sure whether she was forcing it or not. Her smile always seemed so genuine. Anna headed back upstairs to Elsa's room. One of the servants almost saw her but she hid behind a wall before they could see her. Then she quickly slipped inside the room. She looked empathetically at her sister. "We're gonna help you, Elsa,"

The day was colder than usual. Anna wondered if it had anything to do with Elsa's sickness. She grabbed a saddle hanging from one of the stable doors and put it on her horse, Chestnut. Kristoff was prepping Sven and looked at Anna with a raised eyebrow.

"You ride horses?" He asked skeptically. Anna turned to see his judging expression and glared at him.

"Yes," She finished tying the saddle. "Is there a problem?" She pulled on the reigns and brought the horse forward, trying to look menacing. Kristoff scoffed lightly as he rolled his eyes. He turned back to his reindeer and took a bite out of the carrot sticking out of Sven's mouth.

"Not at all," Kristoff smirked. "Only, that reindeers are better than horses," Anna smiled and while Kristoff wasn't looking punched him in the back (rather hard without the intention of hurting him). Kristoff let out a small yelp.

"Ow! What was that for?" Kristoff said turning around irritated. Anna's smile faded slightly, although not fully, she was still quite amused.

"I guess my hand just slipped," She stood there awkwardly. "…Did it really hurt?" She hesitated as she asked this, with a look of pride on her face.

"No!" He stood up straight trying to act tough. Presumably, it wouldn't be necessary for a mountain man to "act tough," but when it was Kristoff, there was always room to act tougher than he was. They laughed at each other's reactions. Then out of nowhere Olaf popped up from a bail of hay (as per usual), and started a conversation full of Kristoff mumbling insults.

"Where are you guys going?" Olaf asked waddling over to Sven. Kristoff rolled his eyes.

"We have to find an herb-" Kristoff put his hand over her mouth. Anna mumbled trying to continue speaking. Then Kristoff quickly took his hand away from her mouth.

"Did you just lick me?!" Kristoff stepped a few paces away, quickly rubbing off any saliva Anna had left on his hand.

"Well you wouldn't uncover my mouth!" Anna smiled and continued explaining to Olaf what they were doing. "So, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," she glanced at Kristoff with a smile. "We have to find an herb for Elsa. She's sick and that plant is the only thing that can help her. But we have to hurry!" Anna became more serious at the thought of their circumstance.

"Can I come?" Olaf asked hopefully, then both at the same time Anna and Kristoff said different responses.

"Yes!"

"No!" Kristoff sighed exasperated for the _long _journey ahead. Anna smirked at him. He gave off a gentle smile.

Olaf rode behind Anna on Chestnut. The day was getting darker, quicker. The landscape became different shades of neutrality. A black sky filled the air, and the trees that were once beautiful red with sunlight shining through them, were now menacing towers cowering over them.

"The sky's asleep tonight," Olaf said disappointed. Anna looked up near the silhouettes and frowned a little to see that the Northern Lights were not there. Chestnut started getting tired and slowed down to a pace that could lull Anna to sleep. She dozed off every once in a while, touching against Chestnut's mane, returning to looking ahead with a straightened spine. Once again, she dozed off and would wake up when she hit the horse's mane. Her light snore humored Sven. Kristoff looked at him disapprovingly. He leaned closer to Anna's horse and gently tapped her on the shoulder. Anna jumped up to her stance on her horse and cleared her throat.

"You wanna rest a while?" Kristoff asked chuckling. Anna had dark circles under her eyes, she looked at him without really understanding what he said.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Anna wasn't paying attention.

"You seem tired," He said. Sven snorted in agreement.

"Pfft…no! I'm totally fine! I'm not a baby. I can stay up," Anna said defensively. It was ironic how big of a blatant liar she was. She was so obvious. About everything. Whether it was denying the fact that she would steal food in the middle of the night, or admitting that she had not been listening for the past ten minutes when Elsa was giving her a lecture, everyone saw right through her.

"Ok, suit yourself, Princess. But you could be using Sven's antlers as an arm rest, is all," Kristoff taunted. Anna observed how comfy Sven's antlers really looked. Maybe Kristoff was just bluffing. Maybe it was worth trying. Anna hesitated, but then swiftly asked.

"Uh…can I try?" Kristoff smirked at her and chuckled. They stopped near a tree to exchange horses-well reindeers, you know what I mean.

"Just make sure to ride Chestnut carefully. He can be a little anxious with new people," Anna warned him.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. I've ridden a horse bef-" Kristoff stopped himself. He'd never ridden a horse before. He couldn't possibly imagine that a horse could be so different from a reindeer. Although it was Sven, that we were talking about. Not just a regular reindeer.

Anna yawned as she waited for Kristoff to help her onto Sven. He lifted her up and she propped her shoulders gently on Sven's antlers.

"Sven, you're such a good boy. You get a carrot," Kristoff threw the carrot into Sven's mouth. Anna snickered. Slowly she dosed off. It was rather quick considering Kristoff hadn't even gotten on Chestnut yet. He was very cautious. "Ok, boy…I'm just gonna…try and..." Kristoff hesitated getting on the horse. He didn't want anything going wrong. Although he was the ambitious type as a child, he became more and more afraid of his actions. Sven had started moving again, a snoring Anna leaning against him. Olaf was making his usual commentary.

"You're not doing a good job of riding that horse, Kristoff," Olaf said bluntly.

"Just…gimme a sec…I'll get the hang of it," He said, as he inspected the horse. Just as he seemed to have _gotten the hang of it_, he scared Chestnut. "Chestnut!" He tripped over. Anna woke up with the sound of Chestnut prancing off. She jumped startled by the commotion.

"I don't think that was good," Olaf added. Kristoff stood still in shock form what happened. Anna jumped off of Sven as she watched her horse ride off into the distance.

"There he goes again…" Anna said glumly.

"Anna…I'm so sorry…" Kristoff said looking down at the ground.

"Oh don't worry. He'll probably come back to the castle soon enough. I lost like that before. Such a scaredy cat-or horse. You know what I mean…" Anna caught herself mid-ramble and stopped herself. She yawned and peered through the dark forest. Kristoff was still slightly shocked at Anna's understated reaction. "Guess we better head off," Anna patted Sven gently with a smile. Kristoff set up everything so all were comfortable and Sven wasn't being pulled down by all the weight. That is, all except Olaf, who would almost always fall off Sven due to the lack of room.


	4. Chapter 4: The Nøkken

Anna was remaining surprisingly awake now, maybe it was the fact her horse ran away, or maybe that fact that she could barely move and couldn't fall asleep. It was a goofy sight to see the three adventurers on a human-like reindeer to be honest.

They reached a creek that they would have to cross to get to the other side. To their surprise, it was completely frozen.

"Do you think it's safe to walk on?" Anna jumped off of Sven balancing her fall with her arms spread out. Olaf waddled over to the frozen creek. He picked up a pebble and threw it across the ice.

"Seems safe to me!" Olaf said smiling. Kristoff kneeled near the creek.

"I'm not sure about that…" He said skeptically. Anna followed him with her eyes as Kristoff tried to examine how thick the ice was. Hesitantly He stepped on the ice. He flinched but nothing happened. He walked a little more. "Well, maybe it is ok to walk on," He said looking down at the ice one more time. He motioned with is hand for Anna, Olaf, and Sven to follow him. They hesitated at first, but slowly made their way. A branch cracked. They snapped their heads where the noise was coming from.

"What was that?" Anna asked nearing Kristoff. He stared at the woods suspiciously. He sighed and kept walking slowly on the ice. Anna bit her lip. She clutched her satchel, and specifically the binding of the folklore book. They continued moving. Olaf waddled with a sense of urgency.

All of a sudden, Sven slipped on the ice knocking over Olaf, who tripped Anna, who accidently pushed Kristoff all onto the ice. The old book slipped out of Anna's satchel, exposing it to all the adventurers. There was a crack in the ice. A crack that quickly spread. The ice began to separate into chunks. Lingering into their ears, the thin, delicate sound of a violin began to dance through the air. Anna's eyes widened in shock to what she began to see. A large, tall figure, water glistening on its flesh, grass clinging to its body, ascended from the icy waters. It looked more than menacing, whatever it was. Anna scrambled to stand up but she now she was isolated on her own block of ice, Kristoff farther away staring at the mysterious thing.

"What is that?" Olaf asked on a different island of ice that was slowly floating around. The figure growled a screech that could barely be described. The combination between nails on a chalkboard and the ringing in your ear after hearing something too loud for your eardrums. It was painful to listen to. Then Kristoff looked away from the dark figure and noticed the book off to the side of Anna's ice block.

"Anna! What's that book?" He asked hastily. Anna snapped into reality and looked at the old book near her hand. She quickly grabbed it. Then without even hesitating she started flipping through the book, yellow page after yellow page until she stopped at one.

"Here it is!" Anna said thumbing the page. Kristoff's heart beat fast as he watched her figure something out without him knowing what was going on. "Let's see…it can't move on land…oh!" She started swaying back and forth on the piece of ice, and almost fell into the water.

"Be careful!" Kristoff yelled. Anna steadied her balance and continued to look for the answer to whatever that thing was. The thing tried to knock down the ice blocks as she did so, almost getting to Sven, who was also slipping on the ice. "Sven!"

Finally Anna flipped to a page.

"Oh, I found it! His name is Nøkken!" Anna yelled looking up. The thing's eyes opened and turned a bright yellow. It shrieked once more, causing a vibration throughout the woods. It continued to attack, but it seemed harmed. Anna looked around trying to think of something else to do. She glanced at the page she was looking at. Then she said again, "Nøkken!" They all watched as the figure shrieked one more time, descending into the dark waters again. The ice continued to float around.

"You did it!" Kristoff said baffled. His island of ice floated near Anna's and they rejoined the reindeer and the snowman as well. The made their way back to the edge of the creek and collapsed onto the dry ground. All of them gasping. As soon as she had the energy to, Anna checked on everyone.

"Kristoff, are you alright?" She asked stepping closer to him.

"I'm fine. Are you?" He asked catching his breath.

"I'm fantastic," She said, making sure Olaf had all of his body parts. Then she plopped on the ground and started reading the book again.

Kristoff sat next to her. "What is that?" he asked glancing over at the page. Anna smiled at him.

"It's the folklore book. The one Olaf was reading," Olaf waddled over with interest. "I looked through to find that 'thing' and it told me that if I said its name, we could escape it," She started glancing at other pages. Kristoff was confused.

"I don't know what that 'thing' was, but this book might come in handy," He said touching its pages. Anna nodded in agreement.

The adventurers mounted Sven once more to continue on their journey. There was a long road ahead.


	5. Chapter 5: New Problems

**Hi guys! i' know I'm new to this but I just want to thank those readers who are there waiting for these chapters! It really makes my day! I'm sorry I took so long in updating this, i'm a little busy! I promise to upload new chapters as often as I can! Thank you again and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to review! I love hearing feedback whether it's saying you loved it or any constructive criticism is completely welcomed! :) 3**

Anna kept her head stuck in the book; now indulging herself with new information that she didn't even know was real! Olaf would glance every once in while maybe landing on the explanation of a certain spirit or sea monster. He would gasp and occasionally startle Kristoff, who would look back at Olaf irritated.

"Ooh…Kristoff listen to this, 'Such creatures like trolls also happen to exist in valleys. Turning from rock, to their natural form, their feeble, and unattractive appearance contrasts from their intelligence and kindness to several creatures around them, some being human," Anna looked up from the book realizing that half of the words that had just escaped her lips were rather, harsh. Her dim-witted smile faded into her biting her lip and continuing to read. Kristoff scoffed and chuckled.

"Yeah, just don't tell that to Bulda, she'll kill me and you for believing in that stuff," He rolled his eyes and patted Sven on the head. "Isn't that right, Sven?" The reindeer snorted in what seemed to be an agreement, but really was a condescending comment.

A small robin came from nowhere, and perched itself on one of Sven's antlers. Kristoff was startled at first, and tried to shoo it away, but the bird didn't respond to him.

"Aww don't send it off, I like it's company. It's so cute!" Anna said smiling at the small bird.

"I just don't see why it had to perch on Sven," Kristoff huffed. He was always pretty grumpy as it is. But the bird wasn't helping him be happier. Anna sighed and continued to observe the strangely calm robin. It was weird to all of them that the bird had simply stood there so long, barely any movement. It was looking straight at Anna. It barely blinked. Anna didn't seem to care though.

They stopped to rest for a while before continuing to move deeper into the woods. Kristoff and Sven went a little ahead trying to plan in which direction they would go next, accompined by no one other than Olaf. Anna simply sat on the grass, reading the folklore book that came in ever so handy. As she turned the yellow pages of the book, she heard a voice coming from behind her.

_"You wish to help her, yes?"_

Anna, startled by what she thought she just heard, jumped. She looked around to see if there was anyone there. Maybe Kristoff was simply trying to scare her or she was just too exhausted. But the voice persisted.

_"You believe you can find the cure?"_

Anna looked up again, this time a little more suspicious. She stood still looking straight, "Kristoff? If you're trying to freak me out, it isn't working," No response. Anna turned her body to make sure she was, indeed, alone. Behind her she saw the same robin that had been perched on Sven. It was on a low branch of a tree. Anna's eyes widened, as she couldn't believe what she had seen. Although, it was a surprise that she couldn't believe in talking animals, but in trolls that roll into rocks.

"_Well, do you?"_

The voice began to transform into that of a woman as the small body of the robin began to morph into that of a fairly young woman, maybe not too much older than Elsa. She wore a work apron with her hair tied up tightly into a bun.

"Who are you?" Anna asked as she slowly got up dropping her book clumsily onto the frail grass.

_"I am a lady of the valley. I work and pray all day. I am a caring wife. But in the midst of the night I am so much more. I am the trickled of the blood running through your veins, I am the blush that comes and fades from your lips and cheeks, I am the very enchantress of your nightmares," _The woman said mystically. Anna stood, gazing in awe.

"You know about my sister?" Anna asked more curiously.

_"Yes. And I know where your journey began. I know your first journey through these woods. I know why you are here. I know how your journey will end,"_ Anna started to get nervous. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know more, or nothing at all from this "enchantress."

"Can you help us?" Anna stepped closer to the mysterious woman. She disappeared and then re-appeared behind Anna. The red braids swerved from one side to the other as Anna turned back to the woman.

_"I can give you advice. But you must give me something in return," _

"What do you need?" Anna stepped closer to the bewildering woman.

_"Your heart," _The woman said grimly. Anna's expression became muddled between confusion and fear. She was taken aback with the words and stepped a little farther away from the mysterious being.

"My heart? What do you mean…you want my heart?" Anna persisted in being informed as to why the woman asked for such an unobtainable thing.

_"Your heart pertains much more than that of others. It holds a love, a pain. Something so peculiarly different," _Now the she stepped closer to Anna at a distance where her whisper could be heard crisp and clear. Anna almost felt like she couldn't move away. _"Ice,"_ She whispered mischievously. Anna's eyes widened. This was no ordinary woman. She knew something. Something that although was rather known in the kingdom, was not something she would expect the woman to know. She knew why Anna was here. She knew what happened to her. And if she knew that her heart was once a block of ice, she knew half of her life. Now Anna made her way back a little more, a pestering little voice at the back of her head asking where Kristoff, Sven, or Olaf had gone, and why they were taking so long. No, no, she could handle this on her own. She didn't need help, just a little faith in herself, and she would be alright, wouldn't she?

"How do you…no, you couldn't know…why do you need my…" Anna's voice trailed off as she looked around desperately. Looking through every slither of sky between the tall, dangling trees. She continued to ramble out loud. "You don't understand…it's not like that anymore…there's no pain…no ice!" Anna nervously tried to explain to the knowledgeable woman. She hit her heel against a rock and fell backwards onto the ground. Her arms kept her half-sitting as she stared at the woman who now seemed rather irritated.

_"If you cannot give me what I ask for, you will suffer consequences,"_ The woman neared Anna, cowering over her, as she inched away on the ground. Soon the woman had pulled out a small rag doll from her apron pocket. Then she pulled out a needle.

Chanting, almost murmuring, she began to recite something in a language incomprehensible to Anna. She finished her chant, and held the needle high in her hand. So intricately and so aggressive at the same time, she stuck the needle into the doll's stomach area. Anna's eyes sharpened. She fell forward with a yelp on her knees hugging herself, affected by the same harm of the doll. She continued to whimper in pain, trying so hard to look up and do something about the situation. She tried standing up, but soon collapsed right onto the ground again. Dawn began to break, heavy breathing coming from the woman. Anna looked up, to see no one there any longer. The robin that had flown onto Sven's antler was seen from a tree, high above. It chirped once or twice and quickly flew off. Anna gasped and quickly looked at the ground again, learning that what she had witnessed was not an ordinary experience.

Just as the sun began to rise ever so slightly, the pink skies starting to fade, Kristoff was telling something to Olaf, Sven groaning behind them. Olaf spotted Anna holding onto herself on the grass, and waddled urgently over to her.

"Anna, what's wrong? Are you sick?" He said trying to look at her face. Anna kept looking down at the ground. The pain almost spread through her entire body, as if the very fibers of her body were being burned and frozen at the same time. It was a pain only acquired through surreal beings. She managed to shake her head in response. Olaf persisted, in misunderstanding to know what was wrong. "I don't understand," Olaf said. Kristoff had run over to examine what was wrong.

"Anna, what happened?" He straightened her by the shoulders so he could see her face. Her face was flushed and she was almost teary-eyed from the pain, although the look in her eyes was more one of determination than pain. She couldn't speak. The pain had gone to her throat, forming a knot. She felt a little choked to breath but still maintained a steady breathing pace. She shook her head again. Kristoff looked at her concerned and sighed worriedly. She breathed in heavily. Blinked reassuringly. She opened her mouth to talk, letting the words sink into her mouth before she spoke.

Still grabbing onto her stomach with her arms wrapped around her torso, she tried to ignore the pain, and as her mouth opened, her caught the book lying near them. She focused on the firm binding of it, Kristoff looked over to where she was looking. He quickly grabbed the book and gave it to Anna. She gulped and started flipping through the pages. She tackled the page she was looking for, read a few sentences, and showed it to Kristoff with incredible certainty. Then she began to explain slowly, making sure that most of the pain in her body had subsided.

"It was a witch. They disguise themselves as animals sometimes, and usually appear as normal women," She said suggesting the sentence she was getting her information from. Kristoff looked at her still confused as to what happened to _her_.

"She had some sort of doll, a special doll that she chanted to. Then she took a needle and stabbed it. The same place where she stabbed the doll, I felt it," She said putting her hands over the spot she was hurting. Kristoff stared at the page in shock. A shot of pain ran through Anna again. She yelped grabbing herself again. Kristoff jumped and quickly closed the book shut. She tried lifting her up slowly, but it was still a struggle.

"What do we do?" Olaf asked concerned following the two. Kristoff looked at Anna and then back at Olaf.

"I think we should take her to the trolls," Kristoff said guiding Anna. She looked up looking confused. Sven snorted in disagreement with Kristoff. Anna stopped and gently looked up.

"But Kristoff, this wasn't something like what Elsa does. This was something else. It wasn't ice, it was witchcraft," Anna said unusually soft. Kristoff looked at her nervously. He was broken down to hear that this wasn't something they had experienced before. Sven snorted, suggesting for the three of them to get on.

Anna laid to her head to her right on Kristoff's back looking at the passing landscape. Olaf tried to make her feel better by giving her distraction.

"Just try to think of all the good things in your life, Anna! That'll make you feel better! Let's see there's me, Sven, there's chocolate, I guess you can put Kristoff…" Anna chuckled lightly. Kristoff was paying no mind to Olaf's jokes. He was taken aback. "Oh and there's Elsa!" But Olaf realized a moment after that what he said did not trigger the right response. Anna's back tensed up and she slumped a little.

_We're gonna help you Elsa. It's just going to take a little bit longer. Please hang in there. Please._


	6. Chapter 6: The Chocolate on the Shelf

**Hello everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to thank those who have started following me/favoriting my story/and or given me a review! All of you have been so positive and have been giving me the best feeling in the world! there are actual people, reading my story! So thank you so much, and I hope you like this one! I added a new feature/genre to my story, and I guess if it's not obvious, it's Elsa and Anna's relationship! I have to admit, it;s not really my strong-suit especially considering I had to base myself off of the movie, maybe a little too much! Hopefully, you all like it, I decided to include it thanks to Protoestrella1! I hope you like it too! 333 Thanks, again, and enjoy! **

The day was rather nice for the time of the year, not as cold as it had been for a while now, at least. Things were calmer. The sky was blue, with few clouds, and the sun shone through the veins of yellowing leaves. Anna had dozed off several times, but around each interval, she would wake herself up with a shot of pain that ran through her body. The pain wasn't necessarily worse but it wasn't subsiding either. Her body throbbed for a couple of minutes after, and she would fall asleep again from exhaustion. To think that with all the commotion she made, Kristoff was sleeping too, leaving Sven to lead the way.

Olaf remained very quiet, almost unnaturally quiet, and although the two humans were asleep, it created a worrisome atmosphere around the entire situation. Finally Anna, woke up, and this time for good. She was too bothered by the constant pains she was facing and decided it was best to be awake when she felt them.

She saw that Kristoff was still sleeping and lightly tapped him on the shoulder, "Hey, how much longer until we're likely to find the herb?" He was slightly startled but quickly cleared his throat to settle in. He bit his lip and looked around. The trees were all around them; he was surprised that his pet reindeer had managed to make his way through on his own.

"I think we should walk from here," He said stopping Sven and hopping off. Anna looked around, skeptical that they would find anything other than grass. Olaf waddled around with her.

"What does this plant look like?" Olaf asked breaking the silence. Anna turned around and smiled at him sweetly.

"It has blue leaves and sharp edges. Oh, and he said they were found near rocks with moss facing North!" Anna led the way towards a random direction with a finger pointing upwards stupidly, then swung around on the pivot of her heel and went in the opposite direction. She felt dumb for not bringing a compass, but she continued walking in an unknown direction until Kristoff grabbed her from the shoulders and turned her towards the right direction, north. Anyone could have recognized them from a mile away, the ridiculous way they were acting, Anna's gesticulations, Kristoff's face palms, and Olaf's waddles. It was quite a sight.

"Ok, Anna, do you see where the sun is rising from?" Kristoff said pointing towards the sun. Anna nodded trying to contain herself from talking. "Ok, well, that's east. So that means, this is west," He pointed towards the opposite direction. Anna nodded again. "So then, this is north!" Anna remained quiet for a second; processing the new information she was given. She smiled and nodded and started walking towards west. Kristoff sighed. He grabbed her hand and pulled her north. Anna let herself be led by the only person that knew where he was going, and she observed the colored scenery of autumn.

"Kristoff, look how pretty everything is! I always remember wanting to collect all the leaves on these trees, when I was younger. All I could do, was look at them as they fell from their branches," Anna said longingly. She stood in front of a birch tree for a minute or two. By this time, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven were pretty far ahead of her. She was there, collecting red, orange, and yellow leaves and piling them like pages in her hand. She was precise about which ones she chose. Everything paused for a second, and there another shot of pain, altered Anna's stature, pushing her onto her knees. She yelped quietly, her breath getting heavier. She hugged herself in hopes to make the pain go away faster. She tried to stay quiet, so as to not worry her companions. Speaking of which, she didn't know where they had gone. Anna tried standing up, having difficulty in doing so, and collapsing onto her knees again. She stayed still for a long time.

"Um, Kristoff?" He turned to the snowman. "Where's Anna?" He looked around and sighed exasperatedly.

"Anna?" No response. "Anna!" Nothing. But Anna heard him. She quickly tried to get up and follow the sound of his voice. She struggled but made her way to them. She came running extremely out of breath, later realizing she had forgotten the leaves she was collecting.

"Sorry…I got caught up picking leaves," Anna said covering up for the fact her stomach was still throbbing.

"It's fine. I just thought you were lost," He said continuing the walking pace they were moving at. Anna looked at him still slightly out of breath.

"Me? Lost? Those two words can't go in a sentence together," Anna bluffed. Kristoff rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Uh-huh, sure, Anna, whatever you say," Anna laughed off the pain and continued searching around the forest.

It was already around noon and Anna had plenty of different little plants and figs in her hand that all looked rather different from the qualities of the special herb. Over time, she would throw out one or two that she had eliminated in her head, but it wasn't as if they were narrowing their results, if not making them more vague.

As they walked through the woods, Anna got caught in her memories.

_"Anna, if you're not gonna play by the rules, then I don't want to play," A young Elsa protested as she walked outside of the bedroom. Anna was jumping up and down behind her, pleading._

_"Ok, I promise, I'll play by rules!" the little redhead begged, skipping down the hall. Elsa sighed, quickly catching up to her._

_"Shh! Yes, but you have to be quiet!" Elsa whispered. Anna nodded with an energized smile on her face. "Ok. Whoever can grab the chocolate from the highest shelf, and run back up to the room first wins, ok?" Elsa set out the rules quietly. Anna nodded._

_"Ok! And they don't have to share it either!" Anna giggled. Elsa shook Anna's hand for good luck. Then they both took off in opposite directions, both giggling very loudly while the rest of the kingdom slept._

_Of course Elsa made it down first. Or did she? She looked around the dark room walking quietly, suspicious that she didn't see an annoying Anna running in, wheezing, from the corner of her eye. She crept into the kitchen on her tippy-toes; right as she was going to grab a stool, she heard a soft clatter of metal pans. She snapped her head towards the source of the noise. No movement. She began to scare herself a little. She could feel the room getting colder. Elsa heard another noise, this time noticing a small, pudgy-looking figure struggling to grab the trophy of their game. _

_Elsa smirked sharply and tried to grab Anna with the chocolate before she could get away with it. Admittedly, Elsa struggled to get the chocolate from her, but she eventually stole it from her hands and sped up back to their bedroom. Anna whining behind her kept trying to snatch the chocolate out of her hands but failed to do so, and quite often tripped on almost every step of the staircase._

_As soon as both of them had made back up to the bedroom, they had locked the door behind them as to not cause more commotion then they had already been causing. _

_ "Anna, I said no cheating!" Elsa scolded her little sister as she plopped on the windowsill with the chocolate in her hands. _

_ "I didn't cheat, Elsa!" Anna stomped over to her sister._

_ "Yes you did, Anna!" _

_ "Did not!"_

_ "Did too!" Elsa started popping pieces of chocolate into her mouth. Anna tugged at Elsa's elbow. "You took a shortcut!" The girl said with her mouth full._

_ "Elsa, please! Just one piece!" Anna continued to tug at Elsa's sleeve._

_ "Anna, you said it yourself, I don't have to share!" Elsa stuffed her mouth. Anna whined a little more, Elsa constantly shushing her. She looked at her little sister. Anna was sitting next to her on the floor, with her arms crossed around her chest, and a pouty expression. "Ugh, fine. Just one tiny, little piece," Elsa grudgingly broke off a piece of the sweet and dropped it into Anna's welcoming hands. She smiled almost deviously, and plopped the chocolate in her mouth. She giggled and jumped to hug Elsa._

_ "Thank you, Elsa!" Then she scrambled onto her bed, and fell asleep within seconds. Elsa glanced at her and smiled to herself. She looked up at the Northern lights, and giggled softly. _

_ "Thank you, Anna,"_

"Anna, look!" Olaf startled her and pulled her back into reality. She looked over to where he was pointing and saw what no one thought they would ever see. Stones. White stones with moss facing north. They were rather big, probably almost as tall as Anna, at least. They made a path even though they were scattered. A huge smile came upon Anna's face. Kristoff looked at her with a smile on his face too.

"We're one step closer," Anna said hopefully. She took a step forward and hooked her arm with Kristoff's. "Let's go!" Then, and there Anna felt like she did when she was that little girl coming so close to grabbing the chocolate on the top shelf. 


	7. Chapter 7: the Needle

**Hi everyone! I can't believe I'm uploading three chapters in one week! But don't get too used to that, I'll be busy soon enough :( I hope you enjoy this chapter! I know it's a little short, but I thought it was a lot put into fewer words, so hopefully you agree with me! Thank you to all of you guys who support me and please leave a favorite, a follow, or a REVIEW! Enjoy! :)**

Anna was struggling to climb onto the large rock, making herself look like the klutz she was, and ended up breaking the motivational mood that was surrounding the atmosphere. Kristoff let out a discreet chuckle-maybe not so discreet. Anna glared at him.

"Do you need help?" He asked trying to wipe the smile off his face.

"No! I can do this…" Anna's voice trailed off as she concentrated on climbing the rock. She continued to fall down as the stone was smooth and she kept slipping on the moss. Kristoff put his hand near the bottom of the rock and waited for her to look at him. Anna looked down frustrated.

"Just…put your foot on my hand and use that to boost yourself up," He said rather squeamishly. In reality, he was rather afraid she would break his hand. Anna nodded grudgingly and put her foot on his hand rather harshly. Kristoff have off a soft "ow" and Anna giggled. She pushed herself up, using her arm strength (the little she had) to scramble herself onto it. "There ya go," Kristoff said satisfied that he could help. Anna stood up triumphantly on the white stone. She put her hands on her hips but then turned to the reindeer and snowman who were eagerly waiting to see what they would do next. Her expression melted into confronting yet another predicament.

"Wait…how is Sven going to get up here?" Kristoff's smile wiped off his face and he looked sadly to Sven. The reindeer looked up to both of them, and continued to turn to one and then the other. His eyes drooped and he groaned in sadness.

"No, wait, look, maybe we can still take him! We just gotta…lift him up…and…" Kristoff attempted at lifting him up and helping him climb the rock, but it was no use. Anna bit her lip trying not to laugh, and at the same time a little bit sad as well, Sven was a big help in the situations they had already faced and the ones they might face in the future.

"Kristoff, I don't think that's gonna work," Anna said hopelessly, sitting on the edge of the rock. Kristoff's shoulders sagged.

"Yeah, Kristoff, I mean look at him! He's just too fat!" Olaf popped in. Sven snarled at him. "I mean, he's…um…overweight? No! I mean he's…" Olaf tried to fix his statement, but Sven continued to glare at him.

"Well, yes…I mean, no, no! Sven is perfectly fine the way he is…it's just that…" Anna tried to heal the situation, although she wasn't doing a good job. She scratched the back of her head awkwardly. There was a moment of silence, awkward silence, that is. Kristoff sighed.

"Ok, buddy. I guess you have to stay here," Kristoff said noogying the reindeer on the head.

"Oh, but Olaf can come!" Anna said loudly. Kristoff looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Uh…no…he cant…" Kristoff tried to avoid bringing Olaf with them, he knew that the snowman would only be a burden for the rest of this trip.

"So you'd rather leave him here with Sven to make things more hectic?" Anna whispered to Kristoff. He thought about her statement carefully. Biting his lip while he made his decision, he dropped his head down.

"He can come," He said grudgingly. Anna clapped excitedly, and Olaf came waddling towards the large rock. He helped Olaf up, and then took some help from Anna and climbing onto the rock himself.

The formation of the rocks was odd. They were placed in a diagonal path, so that they would almost have to hop from one to the other, being careful not to slip on the moss. They made sure Sven would be ok, giving him directions on what do in the case of an emergency.

As eager as they were to find the herb and head back to the kingdom, they hopped carefully from one stone to the other, Anna slipping on nearly all of them. They went like this, for quite a while, no interruptions of any sort, other than an occasional chirping of crickets or the sound of the wind blowing.

There was an odd howl running through the breeze. Anna looked around suspiciously. _An owl?_ She thought to herself. She kept on moving on the elevating rocks. She heard the cry of the animal again, this time she stopped walking completely.

"Anna, what is it?" Kristoff asked obliviously. _How did he not hear it?_ Anna asked herself.

"Do you hear a howling sound, or something like that?" Anna turned to him fearfully. Kristoff raised an eyebrow.

"…No," Kristoff responded confused.

"Never mind," Anna tried to push away the feeling that she was hearing things that weren't really there. She kept a fast pace going, as the stones slowly started to get lower again. Anna hoped that soon they would find the herb and be able to return home as quickly as they could. Soon the stones started melding with the ground again, and they were on the other side of the forest.

"Ok, now we just have to search carefully, if we-" Anna was interrupted by a sharp strike of pain in her stomach once again. She had been growing stronger against these outbursts. She bit her lip and the words coming from her lips went silent. She looked away from Olaf and Kristoff in hopes that they wouldn't notice what was happening. The icy knife stuck through her the same way the needle did to the doll. Kristoff stared at her, concerned.

"Anna?" He asked, his voice a little higher than usual. He was nervous. He had forgotten about what happened before, and had hoped Anna was well over the harm that the sorceress had caused her. Anna held her hand up to pause the situation almost, and took a second to overcome the pain.

"…It hurts," The words escaped from Anna's mouth, almost uncontrollably.

"What hurts?" He asked trying to console her. Anna took long to answer him. A faint gulp could be heard from where Olaf was standing.

"It's the needle," She said right before she dropped to her knees. Her breath got heavier, and she felt extremely nauseous. But it was even more than that. It was as if she could feel herself dying. A sharp blade running through her ever so easily. It was as if she was made of paper. Anna was too preoccupied, stuck in her world of pain, to realize that all the heat from her body had pulsed in and out. The blush in her face and the warmth from he hands had disappeared and re-appeared. She gasped a final breath, only she continued to breath a moment after. It was as if she had died, and quickly, almost in an instant, came back to life. Kristoff was kneeling next to her, trying to figure out what he could do, but it was a fleeting moment. She stood still for many moments simply trying to grasp on to life again. Kristoff had grabbed her hand, frightened, like a child, waiting for her to give a sign of reassurance.


	8. Chapter 8: Dahlia

**Hello all! Thank you for the support as always. I hope this story isn't getting boring for you guys because I really am enjoying writing it! If there are any ideas you guys would like to introduce feel free to message me on what you would like to see! Thanks as wlays, and enjoy this chapter! :)**

The sun was starting to rise and Anna stared down at the ground, sitting, trying to catch her breath. She looked around at Olaf who was looking over a mountain, and Kristoff who was looking at her with major concern.

"Kristoff, it's not as bad as last time, I'm sure-"

"Not as bad as last time? Anna, you were just shot to the ground as if someone had stabbed a knife through you, you want me to think that that's any better than a frozen heart?" Anna looked down re-considering her words. He neared her with a slight sense of fear.

"But, we have to focus on Elsa. I'm afraid that we'll run out of time to help her!" Anna said gathering her strength to stand up.

Just as Kristoff was going to say something, Olaf came running towards them.

"Guys come look! I see someone down at a valley!" Olaf broke the conversation and led the two to where he was watching the landscape. He took them to the edge of the mountain, where a nearby valley laid, full of green and blue. As the three squinted their eyes, they saw a person dressed in white. They were tending to the nearby plants and flowers. "Why don't we go say hi?" Olaf asked innocently.

Kristoff shook his head. "No, we're not going down there. We've had enough encounters. And they've done enough damage as it is," He said strictly. Anna took a deep breath. She was standing next to Kristoff and cautiously took hold of his hand. He was startled but looked at her worriedly. Anna smiled reassuringly at him.

"Let's go say hi," Anna said leading him behind Olaf. They made their way down to the valley pretty quickly. It was much more jungle-like then they would have expected it to be. To think it was late autumn and yet, this small valley pertained a constant sense of summer. Something that Olaf appreciated very much.

"Look at the flowers!" Olaf said pointing to some nearby tulips. Anna smiled subtly, more worried about the situation that they were in. It was quiet for a moment, only the chirp of birds. The air was fresh and new, it calmed the atmosphere to a level of peace that couldn't have been duplicated in the kingdom. Everything was always so weary in the streets. People chatting, trading, buying, and selling. Children playing and shouting. Anna would be running from the castle into the marketplace and back to the castle again all without necessity. But here? No. There was no need for running. No sound except the chirping of a bird. No sound but the trickle of a creek. No sound-a branch cracked. Anna turned around anxiously. She looked at Kristoff to confirm that he had heard the noise as well. The sound of light feet prancing on grass could also be heard. Anna was on her feat, ready to make a run for it. Then, in front of them, from all of the beauty of nature, arose a gorgeous, young woman. Dressed in white. Her hair matching the color of her gown, in frizzles and flowers falling on it. Her skin very pale, but her cheeks were all too rosy. Her icy eyes reminded Anna of Elsa. She was some sort of enchantress she supposed. But she didn't look malevolent. At least she hoped she wasn't.

"Um…I," Anna broke the silence as if she were to introduce herself but only stuttered phrases escaped her. The goddess-like woman put a calming hand up and smiled. It was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. It represented peace, and knowledge, and a sense that everything was going to be ok. Anna opened her mouth again to ask a question, of who she was. She was hesitant.

"I'm Anna. Who are you?" She asked awkwardly. The woman was graceful in every movement she made. The life could be seen pumping through her body so vigorously, Anna was sure she came from a higher power.

"I am Dahlia, care taker of the forest," the woman said. Anna smiled. Dahlia stood in a gracious position that was so queen-like; it was uncanny how similar she was to Anna's sister. Anna marveled at the similarity with such curiosity. Anna was entranced by this characteristic, but quickly tried to advance the conversation.

"Oh, um, your highness…um," Anna clumsily curtsied, the fringe of her dress filthy with dirt and grass stains. Her dress looked the same way her wardrobe looked when she was 5. Still she tried to be the best royal sister she could be (although it wasn't much). "We're looking for an herb. My sister is sick, and the plant is supposed to cure her," Dahlia maintained her posture. Anna paused. "It supposedly has blue leaves and sharp edge-" before Anna could finish her description of the herb, Dahlia took a step to her right to reveal the plant directly behind her. It was if she had made it appear there. Knowing exactly what Anna needed, she plucked the herb with her delicate hand and stepped closer to Anna to give it to her. Anna held out her hand marveling at the mystical woman. Kristoff staring over Anna's shoulder as Dahlia softly placed the plant in her hand. "How…did you?" Anna stuttered. Dahlia smiled.

"It's alright. I am used to helping others with their illnesses. You could say I am a sort of medicine expert, a doctor is what you call it, yes?" Her voice was silky. With every word bringing more peace to the valley. Anna nodded nervously. Olaf ran over to Dahlia cheerfully, like a small child.

"Hello! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" Anna giggled softly. The graceful woman bent down to greet the snowman. She smiled sweetly at him.

"He is your creation, I assume?" Dahlia asked with looking up. Anna looked around to make sure she was talking to her. Then she realized that the woman couldn't have been talking to anyone else. Anna stumbled on her words a little before she explained.

"Me? No, no I didn't create him. My sister made him!" Anna smiled down at Olaf admiringly. "You've seen other talking snowmen?" Anna asked stupidly. She bit her lip regretfully. Dahlia stood up and looked at Anna intriguingly.

"I have lived many years, despite my youthful appearance, and I have met several beings with powers like those of your sister's," Dahlia said.

"Really?" Anna said excitedly stepping closer to the woman. Dahlia smiled and nodded calmly. Anna's smile got bigger, thinking that Elsa would have others that would be able to understand her. She would have found no reason to feel alienated any more, despite the support of her sister.

With no reason, Anna started feeling a throb in her stomach again. She put her hand there in hopes of it being a passing feeling, but it only seemed to get worse. Anna bit her lip to try and hide it from Dahlia. She was afraid that she would disrupt a certain order that the valley contained. But the pain continued to grow. Dahlia was now noticing that something was wrong. And yet she was so calm. Kristoff looked at Anna turn extremely pale for a second, but the blush returned to her cheeks, and the pain slowly disappeared, subsiding with the breeze. Anna looked at the white-haired woman curiously, as if she knew that Dahlia had done something to stop her from suffering the pain.

"It doesn't hurt. You stopped it…" Anna's voice arose a little from a whisper.

Dahlia smiled knowingly.

"I can sense black magic in the valley. I knew from the moment you entered that you brought it with you. A curse," Anna gulped loudly at the sound of the worse _curse_. "I've dealt with her works before. Many a time, she has tried to disturb the peace in the forest, taking disguise as a robin," Anna remembered now who she spoke of. The enchantress. The woman who had plunged a needle into a doll.

"So you've met her before?" Kristoff popped in, slightly curious.

"Yes. But she can't hurt you here, Anna," Dahlia reassured them.

"Is there anything you can do to help her?" Olaf asked.

"I wish that I could, but sadly, I cannot. I have nothing that could take the curse away. But there is a way," She paused to phrase the instructions she was about to give. Anna leaned forward to listen carefully. "What is it that she wants from you, Anna?" She asked gently.

"Huh?" Anna looked at Dahlia. She gulped before she spoke. "She said that she would help me find the herb, but only in exchange for something," Dahlia's expression became one of question. "She wanted my heart, saying that it contained ice, so I clarified that it did, except not anymore, but she didn't believe me, and so-" Kristoff put a hand on her shoulder so that she would stop talking. Anna remained silent and Dahlia was thinking of what she would say.

"A frozen heart…hmph. Under any circumstance, here is what you must do," Anna paid close attention. "You must go to the village where she lives as a normal housewife. Her house is the one farthest from the church. When the bells ring six times, it is your chance to go inside the house without being caught, find the doll and the needle. If the bell rings three times, you must run as fast as you can. Come back here immediately, and the rest I will fix," The woman's voice was weary for the first time. Anna found this task incredibly dangerous and difficult. She kept telling herself that she lived life on the edge, but only when it didn't get others hurt. Kristoff gulped but nodded approvingly.

"Thank you," Anna finally said speaking up. Dahlia nodded.

"I shall wait for you here," She said gesturing to the nature. Anna smiled hopefully. Then they were on their way to the witch's village.


	9. Chapter 9: Safe

**Hi Guys! I'm sorry if this chapter is a little short, I hope to have a following chapter very soon! Enjoy! :)**

The day settled in slower than it should have, the sun not having set yet, although it was probably already around 5 in the evening. Anna walked slowly trying to remember all the directions Dahlia gave her. She murmured to herself giving Kristoff the chance to raise an eyebrow at her. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and smirked slyly. She continued to memorize the directions. _Turn left where you see the birch forest start. Then keep going straight until you see the houses._

She thought to herself.

They did as they were told until they were close enough to the village. They heard the bell ringing. It rang six times. Anna was alarmed.

"It must be close by!" Olaf sprang up. Anna started walking a little bit faster. Her walk became a jog, and then the jog became a run. Kristoff struggled slightly to catch up to her. They reached the houses. They were very primitive. Made of raw wood and unevenly spaced out. They stayed separated from the village, waiting for all of the townspeople to scuttle into the church. Anna thought of them sadly. She didn't think they were happy living the way they were.

"Ok, that should be the house, over there," Kristoff whispered strategically. Anna nodded subtly and went ahead without waiting for Kristoff to approach the house. She tripped over a few stones eliciting a snicker from Kristoff completely inappropriate for the situation. Soon they were both standing on the doorstep. "Anna, what are you standing there for? Go in!" He said slowly nudging her to open the door. Anna let herself be shoved in, her heels sliding on the cobblestone. They told Olaf to stay outside the house, on the look out for the witch, if she came back. In reality they had the bells to indicate that to them, but since Olaf would have knocked things over, they kept him out of the equation. But Olaf kept his place as a little soldier.

"Wait, what?" Anna was caught in thought as she was being pushed into the wooden house. Kristoff rolled his eyes and sent her in. "Where should we start looking?" Anna readied her stance. Kristoff looked around the house. It was small and cramped. Not that it was full of meaningless things but there were many seats, and tables. A fireplace was visible at the end of the room. There were stairs leading up, and an archway that lead to an even smaller kitchen. They scattered themselves throughout the rooms and tried looking for a rag doll lying around or anything odd. They spent a good 10 minutes searching for anything and were not able to find it. "I swear, I've looked everywhere and _still_ haven't found anything!" Anna sighed exasperatedly, as she complained, until Kristoff held up a hand.

"Wait, look," Kristoff had spotted a peculiar-looking wooden box, worn from use. It was on the mantle. The box looked as if something was spilling from it. A round piece of stuffed cloth. He went over to it and gingerly opened the lid. To their surprise, they found what they had been searching for. The rag doll, with the needle pasted to the bottom of the lid. Anna marveled at the object which held the power to harm her, without even laying a finger on her. Kristoff handed it to Anna, and she carefully stored it inside her satchel. What neither one of the two noticed, was that the bells were ringing. The three gongs from the church and the chatter of people following. Olaf came rushing into the house, knocking over a table and a stool. Anna and Kristoff were startled as the snowman barged in.

"Guys! She's coming back, right now!" Anna immediately became serious.

"Run!" Kristoff said shoving Olaf out the door. With the worst luck they could possibly have, the witch was nearing the house. She spotted the three awkwardly trying to make a run for it. She began to approach them with urgency but trying not to show it amongst her neighbors. Anna saw that the woman had recognized her and started moving faster. Soon all three of them were sprinting for their lives, but were soon enveloped by wilderness.

As they slowed down, panting, Anna raised the question. "Do you think we lost her?" Kristoff looked around. From up in the sky a robin had seemed to follow their path.

"I don't think so," Olaf said pointing up. They all followed his twig finger and overflowed with horror. They continued to run, back towards the valley where they knew they would be safe. The day was becoming very dark now and it was almost impossible not to trip over small rocks. They had finally made it within feet of the jungle-like garden, when Anna fell onto the grass. Kristoff had ran a little ahead until he realized Anna was still on the ground. She stood herself up as quickly as possible, right as the robin swooped down to her level. She sprinted as fast as she could until the bird had disappeared into the darkness. Anna panted dropping to her knees on the vibrantly green grass even seen in the darkness. She kneeled there for a while, Kristoff catching his breath, and Olaf following soon after. Dahlia had appeared in the dark of night, glowing with her white radiance.

"You have made it here safely, thank goodness," She said relieving herself of a certain anxiety that tugged at her. She walked over to Anna and lifted her up by her hands. Dahlia's delicate fingers seemed to have relaxed Anna's breathing. She looked at the redhead for a moment waiting for Anna to realize what she needed to do, and after a while, she hastily pulled out the wooden box from her satchel and gave it to Dahlia. Now, Dahlia had opened the box with a certain ease to observe the rag doll, and hidden needle. She shook her head in dismay towards the witch, mindfully condemning her for such action. She closed the lid carefully, and with the curl of her sleek, white fingers, dug a small hole near a big wooden oak. She bent down gracefully, and placed the wooden box, deep inside the hole. Then again, with the motion of her hand, buried the container tightly. Anna watched her carefully as she performed this, and gave off a small smile. "She will never hurt you again. Any of you," The three adventurers smiled radiantly. "Now return to your sister, Anna. She needs you more than ever now," And with that Dahlia turned to her flowers, to her garden. She continued to attend to them quietly, dismissing the three gracefully.


	10. Chapter 10: Distractions and Giants

**This is the preliminary chapter of the story! I might add more to it fi you guys would like so please comment/review! I migth even create a sequel, or a crossover even? I don't know whatever you guys would like! So only one more kind of "aftermath" chapter after this and I would be done with this story! So sad! But very satisfying! Enjoy! :) **

Anna trudged far behind Kristoff, in relief of so many things, stressed about so many other things. Sure she no longer had to worry about that awful woman (although she didn't know where she disappeared off to), but they were still on a time bomb in getting to Elsa. What if they were too late? What if distracting themselves with Anna's well-being lost time in helping Elsa? These thoughts ran through Anna's mind quite frequently on this trip. She couldn't help but over-worry herself to exhaustion.

The white stones they were once again crossing, began to get steeper again, making it more dangerous to walk on them. Olaf almost slid off, which ended up having him in the middle of Anna and Kristoff like a little kid, so if he fell off one of the two could catch him.

They made their way, across chasms; making the same turns they made going in the opposite direction, and making sure to not step on certain parts of the rock. They kept a steady pace for a while, not going quickly, but also not going too slow. The moon was getting a little lower each minute.

Now, the rocks were getting lower. It was a good indication to Anna that soon, they would be back home, hopefully not too late-

With a great big thump, what seemed to be a quake that lasted a second, something shook the earth. Anna almost fell off balance, but managed to stay on the rock. They looked around to see what was happening. The ground was quiet.

Kristoff sighed with relief and continued moving. The rock began melding into the grass again, and he tried searching for a faithful reindeer that _should_ have been waiting for them there in his place. He was anxious to see that he could not find Sven.

Once more, the ground shook unstably, almost as if the ground would tear right there. Kristoff stumbled to the side, Olaf going in the opposite direction. Anna tried getting hold of both of them. They stopped again looking urgently everywhere. The thumping became more constant as if something was walking. Something very big.

Anna swung around in her stance, until she was caught still by the sight she had behind her. Like other fairytales, it would seem cliché what she had seen. But let's face it, clichés were the least of their problems at this moment.

"Uh, Kristoff? Turn around," Anna said hesitantly. Kristoff turned around slowly and fear fell into his eyes. All three of them stared at what would only hold them back even more from getting home.

"Giant," Kristoff said to himself. He grabbed Anna's hand and Olaf's twig arm and pulled them both forward. They were all sprinting like it had seemed they had been doing this entire journey.

The giant was in fact, giant. Maybe only half the North Mountain, but definitely bigger than a tall oak tree. The humongous man had spotted the three and began to chase them. He was clearly a hostile creature, who seemed to be looking for something to eat. Marshmallow, something that Anna would have agreed was menacing, was nothing compared to this.

Soon the stone became dirt, and the dirt became grass. Kristoff scanned through the forest and came to see Sven pulling the last carrot out of a cotton bag. He somehow managed to roll his eyes out of exasperation for his hungry, life-long buddy but remained urgent while doing so. "Sven!" He grabbed his attention and the reindeer looked up innocently and faced the same horror the other three were facing to see a gigantic man chasing after them.

Sven quickly rushed over to them, and Kristoff started hurrying Anna to get on, but right as she was trying to get on the reindeer, she heard a horse neighing. Her head snapped towards the sound of the animal and there, as if all in the world had stopped, Chestnut gracefully stood only a few feet away from the scene. Anna's eyes opened wide and she radiated a great big smile.

"Chestnut!" She ran over to her beloved horse and quickly got on him. Kristoff, without even questioning what was happening, got on Sven and helped Olaf up.

They started riding off and gaining some distance from the monster, only to see the giant catching up to them. Anna looked behind her but quickly turned forward to make Chestnut go faster. "Good boy," Anna whispered to her horse.

The giant was now gaining on them causing both the reindeer and the horse to stumble on their hooves. It became harder to navigate them through the woods and onto the hills. They wobbled like chess pieces on a board, being controlled by any act of unnatural events, the same way the thoughts of a pawn would be when moved from square to square by the hands of a player. As they swooped through the forest, Anna started collecting large branches hanging from the trees. They were hefty, and quite hard for her to pull off, but with the momentum of her horse's speed it made it much easier for her. The foot of the creature was maybe only a few yards away from them. Anna readied herself. "Ok, Chestnut, just keep moving," She told her horse as she turned her body the other way. The horse began to slow its pace a little. "Don't worry about me Chestnut, keep going!" The horse did as he was told and Anna was now sitting up facing the opposite side that she was moving in. She readied her hands and grabbed one of the large branches that lay in her lap. She struggled picking it up but managed to hold it. She put it behind her back like a baseball bat. Then she swung her arm aggressively, releasing the branch with a grunt. It successfully hit the giant's foot, and although it didn't seem like much damage, the monster felt it. It only became angrier. Anna felt just like before. Although it had only been a few months since the Great Thaw, she felt extremely adventurous. Another big thump. The ground shook twice the amount it was shaking before. As Anna picked up the second branch she brought it up with greater force. "No…more…distractions!" and pelted it at the creature, remarkably hitting its knee this time. She was encouraged to throw another one but missed this time. But it didn't matter. The giant tripped anyways. Although he didn't fully fall to the ground he took a stumble that could have disintegrated every mountain in the kingdom.

With this giant stumble, Sven nearly was knocked to the ground and Olaf nearly flew into the air from the momentum if it weren't for Kristoff catching him. Anna sighed in relief. The moon was down all the way. And guess what was in sight. The castle. Anna started panicking how they would get rid of this giant before it plummeted Arendelle to the ground. Anna bit her lip trying to find something else she could use as a weapon. But there was no need. The sun began to rise, omitting a pink light over the hills and onto the cobblestone castle. Anna looked back at the castle now facing the same way as Chestnut again. There was a glimpse of hope in her eyes. She looked back at the giant. His hand was swooping down to knock her off the hill, she was able to dodge the first attempt. Kristoff glanced back at her as she maneuvered her way through the giant's clutches. She quickly rode near Sven. Then the hand made a following attempt at trying to grab Chestnut, just as it seemed Anna was about to be lifted into the air along with her horse, something that only the heavenly lights of day could do, came to the rescue.

The pink light began to shed on the giant, on the adventurers. The monster began to groan in pain, the light sizzling on his skin. The sun was rising faster and faster, and just as it seemed the way was clear back to the kingdom, the giant burned to a crisp within seconds. Anna looked back, to see fallen golden ashes on the grass far behind them now. They were making their way home.

The pink light coming from the sun turned into an orange yellow, almost gold. They were still rushing to get home quickly, running on the adrenaline that the encounter with the giant had given them. Anna was still shocked how easily one touch of sunlight on the monster's arm could turn him into ashes. She had been so close to her death that time, that she found it almost peculiar that she was still alive.

They reached the kingdom rather quickly once they reached the last few hills, and discovered the quietness of the town. Almost as if the streets were mourning for someone. Anna hoped that that feeling inside of her, wasn't a sign that something worse had happened to Elsa.

The market place was empty. Sven peered through the booths that would normally sell fruits and vegetables, but no one was there. It was eerie to all of them, how the scenery could go from so quiet to so hectic.

Solemnly, the horse and the reindeer clicked their hooves against the cobble streets. Olaf eventually just jumped off of Sven and began to waddle his way back to the castle. He looked very worried. And if Olaf looked worried, that worried Anna even more. And when Anna was worried, Kristoff was worried. A collectiveness of being worried filled their small atmosphere as they neared the gates of the castle. The guards were surprised to see the princess looking as tired as she was. The guards greeted them, but none of them were attentive enough to reply with more than a soft hum or a forced chuckle. The journeyers were exhausted, they could barely keep themselves up.

As they walked anxiously through the halls, servants would take their coats or ask them if they needed anything. They added a stress that wasn't needed in the atmosphere. Anna ran a little farther ahead than the rest, the herb in a jar that she had stored in her satchel. She stopped right in front of Elsa's door, but stood motionless, unable to make the next move. She bit her lip nervously. She didn't want to prepare herself to see anything that she wouldn't want to see. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She entered room solemnly, observing her sister, still bedridden like when she had left her. Gerda and a few others were attending to any sudden changes in Elsa's behavior. Gerda looked up to see Anna, and with glistening eyes ran over to embrace her tightly. Anna stayed in her arms for a while, letting her warmth envelope her entirely. When Gerda let go, she still held on to Anna's small hands, one in which she noticed the jar. She quickly became alert and told one of the other women in the room to go fetch Axel who had stayed for any emergency that could have occurred. Gerda led Anna to a seat, next to Elsa. She stared at her sister, frightened, a little less sure of herself than when she left. Her heart pounded against the inside of her chest. Her breaths became shorter, and she could feel the butterflies in her stomach. Kristoff and Olaf were at the doorway now, both looking like frightened little children. It was quite sad to see them all, brave adventurers gathering near so scared, so fearful of what could happen.

Axel had come into the room, paying greetings to the princess with a grateful expression. He took time to inspect the herb and nodded with certainty that it was indeed the plant he had prescribed. He took from his bag a small stone bowl, and a stone spoon. He placed the herb in the bowl and began to crush it into a paste. He soon added water and other plants to it. As he was proceeding with the medical rituals he had to perform, Anna leaned her head on her hand. She had her elbow against the arm of the chair and quickly dozed off. The bags under her eyes were so dark that it had seemed she could have been punched in both eyes to get as violet as they were. She immediately fell asleep, as desperate as she was to see her sister cured, she could no longer contain the exhaustion. Her vision became golden, with the morning sunlight.


	11. Chapter 11: Sisters

**Here it is guys the final chapter! I know it's probably a littlw too short for y'all but I didn't want to have a bulky ending, you know? Anyway I hope you guys really like it and please I want suggestions for new stories! I might make a sequel or a separate one but PLEASE REVIEW!**

****TO SOME RANDOM TACO: THANK YOU FOR LIKING MY STORY, I HOPE YOU LOVE THE ENDING! (I LOVE PROPER SO DON'T BOTHER TO CHANGE YOURSELF YOU ARE PERFECT) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE COMPLIMENTS I TAKE THEM TO HEART AND YOU REALLY MADE MY DAY! :) ****

**With that I leave you, enjoy! :)**

The room was dark. The tall window in the bedroom shed a silver light upon the bed, and the table. Glimmering refractions of moonlight intertwined onto Anna's face. She rumbled around in her bed, trying to go back to sleep. She woke up. Anna opened her eyes slowly, observing her surroundings. She was in her room all of sudden. How long had it been? A few minutes? A few hours? Days even? Disoriented, she sat up in her bed. Anna remembered that she had dozed off in Elsa's room.

Elsa. That was all that was in her mind. She took a deep breath and quickly jumped off her bed. She flattened out the skirt of her dress with her hands and disappeared from her room.

She heard people moving around so it couldn't have been too late. She could hear an occasional chatter coming from a few servants or the sound of townspeople outside. The empty ambience that she had witnessed earlier was nothing compared to the extraordinary nightlife of the kingdom.

A part of her didn't want to see Elsa, in the case that she wasn't able to help her. All that work, all the trouble, all the mishaps. All for what? All for seeing her sister even more ill than before? She dared not tell herself that her sister might have not even been breathing anymore. There was so much and so little energy inside of her at the same time, making her feel so confused about what she needed to do to calm herself down.

Between all the thinking and mindless walking, she found herself in the same position she had found herself in for years on end: in front of her sister's door. But the conflict wasn't whether her sister would welcome her or not. The problem was she didn't know whether her sister would even be there. She took a moment to think.

_Anna, just go in. You'll never find out if you don't just go in._

"Thank you, Kai. Please try to relax tonight. I know there's been some stress running about the kingdom," Something broke through her thoughts.

Anna looked up alerted. _Is that Elsa?_ She asked herself. She quickly (but quietly) followed the conversation.

"I'll go see if Anna's awake," She said, as the footsteps clicked towards Anna's door. Anna started running towards the hall that led to her bedroom. She saw her sister about to knock on the door to the empty bedroom.

"Elsa!" Anna said running. The Queen turned around surprised by a hug that nearly knocked her to the floor. At first, she did nothing but let herself be chained by Anna's short, but strong arms. Soon she returned the hug, smiling radiantly. Anna felt her eyes get a little teary. She didn't know why though. She was a strong girl. She wasn't one to cry often. Maybe it was the relief. Maybe it was the exhaustion. Maybe a combination of both. Yes, that is exactly what it was. Exhausted and relieved. Elsa let herself loose from the embrace but continued to hold her sister's hands.

"Anna, you better start explaining what you did soon," Elsa chuckled at Anna with a smile. Anna laughed still slightly teary-eyed. She thought to herself that she had probably never seen her sister this radiant before, this true, and real, and happy. Maybe not since a few months. She had always been so busy with queenly activities and duties that she had to take responsibility for. But right now they were just them. They were just sisters.


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